An End To Start a Beginning
by Kathrine Tang
Summary: Ana has lived in a cut-off-from-reality community all of her life. She has been sheltered and raised in a strict household. Recent events have caused her to run away from all that she has known in order to save her life. How will she function in the real world and will Eric Northman spare the time and patience to help her? EricxOC


_**I do not own True Blood in anyway shape or form just my story and my characters! **_

Everything changed when I had that dream. I didn't know if it was a sign from God or just my imagination but it had some different meaning. I was in pitch blackness as I got to my feet looking around growing more and more terrified by the second. Loud footsteps came from behind me making me jump up and look at where they were coming from. Dozens of eyes were staring me down and clicking noises were coming from all directions. I did what any normal person would do. I ran.  
These creatures were screaming and chasing me telling me to stop running. They wanted something from me, something important by their speed and the way that they were growling and fighting against one another. There was a bright light coming a few I was trying to run to a bright light were comforting deep voices were speaking to me,

"Ana come to me…I need you." One said that was almost a whisper in my ear making me shiver.

A lean shadowy male figure appeared in front of the light but I couldn't see his face. He held out his arms welcoming me. "Ana my love, please come to me."

Desperately I tried to reach him but, the evil creatures kept pulling my hair and clawing at my dress ripping it and scratching me. Finally I shook them off and reached the light and I felt its warm embrace and…..

"Ana! Wake up! Mother has already called for breakfast!" A light childish voice was in my ear now and not my mystery man's sweet voice. I was disappointed but also relived because the evil creatures weren't right behind me whispering vulgar things as they pulled me to them. I groaned and rolled over opening my blurry eyes. That gets another groan out of me for I am right next to the window where the bright sunlight is coming in and stings my eyes. I sit up and rub them blinking a few times to clear my vision. I hear light giggling coming from next to me and I look down to see my little sister Ruth standing there giving me a bright smile.

"It's not like you to sleep in Ana. Are you alright?" She stares up at me her bright green eyes shining with worry. I smile feeling happiness that she is generally concerned for my well-being. I pat her head and smile at her.

"Yes Ruth, I am fine…just had a weird dream."

God how I do not want to get up out of this bed, all I want to do is go back to dream land and back to the man, that would get Ruth I trouble and my Mother furious with me.

Instead I climb out of the bed and rubbed my eyes telling her I will be down in a minute. I watch as she gave me a toothy grin and bounced down the stairs tripping on her new dress on the way. It was much too long for her but Father wanted his daughters to look proper. Being proper was wearing loose ill-fitting clothes and to long dresses.

I giggle at the sight as I get up and go to the chest Ruth and I share in the large room. It may be big but I share it with my other 5 sisters…well they aren't all my full sisters since they have different mothers but we aren't supposed to believe that, Ruth is really my only full sibling.

I pull out a light blue dress that goes down to my ankles and a white apron. As I put it on I think about what people outside of our way of life wear. I've always wondered why we have to dress so differently from them. And why we must live differently as well.

Whenever we absolutely have to go to town and get things that we cannot make, like soap and cleaning products, Father and one of the mothers would take three older children with them. Since I was Fathers favorite I have been going on every single trip since I was 13.

The trip to town was always nerve-racking. It's a good 30 minute drive and on the way the mother and Father would be drilling us with bible verses and always talking about what sinners everyone else is and how they will go straight to hell for doing what they do. And when we do finally get to town and to the store we are supposed to stay mostly silent and avoid eye contact with all the other people.

But over time I found myself observing them and most of them didn't seem like the evil sinners that we were told they were supposed to be. Most of them were just shopping and, always talking on their portable telephones using various facial expressions. Sometimes I'd see people who are married or courting too and, they would act so nicely to one another and the man would treat the woman as if they were a queen, always pushing the cart and opening doors for her and, do almost everything she would said.

Father and the mothers were different. The mothers would do everything Father would say and act obedient, but they would always get stared at and get weird looks. Apparently that was not alright their world.

I sigh feeling really confused as I am now just finishing brushing my teeth. Now to try and tackle the long mess I call hair. It was a dark brown color that went all the way down to the backs of my knees. Woman and girls who are not married NEVER cut their hair. But my sisters and I cut a few inches every once in a while in secret. If we didn't most of the older girls, including mine's hair would be on the floor. It is a symbol of our virginity and pureness. Ruth's hair is already half way down her back, poor girl she has trouble managing it as it is but it gets longer and longer.

As soon I'm through combing the massive curls until they were fine waves I begin braiding it in three braids then braiding the three braids together into one making my hair a lot shorter. It now lies right on my hips instead of my knees.

The noise of my family downstairs is growing louder and louder so breakfast must be almost done. When Ruth awoke me I knew I had another good 20 minutes until everything was ready since it was relatively quiet and you couldn't smell the fresh biscuits yet. I walk quietly as I can down the stairs to see my Father sitting at the front of the long table reviewing the sermon that he will give this Sunday. My father was a local reverend of the church and rather well known throughout our community in Bon Temps I then walk to the cabinet and pull out the plates and silverware seeing that the woman were still in the kitchen and the boys were still chopping wood in the backyard. Since I was late I'll do that chore for them.

I kiss his cheek and say, "Good morning Father." Cheerfully hoping he doesn't notice that I had just came down the stairs.

He then looks up from his sermon and smiles at me, "Good morning Ana. You are a bit late are you not?" He says with his eyebrows raised.

I blush and continue to set the table not meeting his gaze remaining quiet.

He shakes his head at my silence. "Ana, The Lord does not like tardiness on his holy days. You know better than to defile the Him." And he says nothing else and turns back to his sermon.

I sigh just as my 5 sisters come pouring out of the kitchen placing dishes of food on the table and sit down. My mother Laura, who is 36 comes in and smacks me on the back of my head for being late and then gives me a happy smile saying she loved me. My Father's first wife comes in, Lucille, who is 46, the same age as my Father. Finally, Jane my father's newest wife of a year, who is only 17, the same age as me waddles in 9 months pregnant with her first child and struggling to carry in a big pot of oatmeal. I feel sorry for her most of the time I see her.

She walks over to the door and calls in my 4 brothers in who all but knock her over. Families had little respect for new wives. She wouldn't be an equal member until after she had 2 or 3 children.

We all were now at the table so Father stood and offered the blessing,

"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for letting us all wake to serve you once again in this beautiful house and wonderful community of believers. We wait patiently for the birth of Jane's baby who we hope will be a boy and we wish he will be bathed in your love and praise. We ask you to please bless this food in the mighty name of Jesus Christ Amen." He sits and we all respond a quiet Amen.

After breakfast before we started cleaning up and doing our other chores for the day Father cleared his throat and stands,

"Now. Something very important is happening tonight…..the Honorable Reverend Jones is coming here for dinner! He has very big news today for our family that will change everything for the better. So this house needs to be spotless and a big dinner will be cooked. Understand? Off to work." He and my oldest brother Joseph then leave to the community church to prepare for Sunday service tomorrow.

Everyone was now whispering and giggling with excitement as the mothers gave assignments, they were strangely calm, as if they knew about it already. Lucille had a small smile while my Mother had a huge grin that easily gave away her excitement. Jane looked surprised and a bit disappointed that she was not let in on the big announcement …poor girl.

Lucille normally scowled at me when she gave me my chores, but instead she gave me a bright smile and a pat on the head after she gave me my tasks, which was to sweep and scrub the entire living room and then to go to my sisters room and make the beds then to remain there until dinner.

I was a little baffled at the light work load, but I still smiled and gave her the typical "Yes Ma'am." I was about to leave when she grabbed my braid and said in a kind voice, "Is getting heavy little one?" I nodded silently and she smiled at me once again, "Do not worry it will most likely be cut very soon." She patted me on the on the back and I rushed out to the well for the water I needed.

Once I was outside I sat down at the base of the well and thought about what she said. My hair cut? That only happens after marriage! No I do not want to be married yet. Though I knew it was coming eventually. We were Devotees of the One True Belief for God's sake. Girls were married and having children younger than I am here

In the books from the Modern World that I had, our living choices would be often referred to as a _Cult_ and this is one of the reasons. I was almost 19 and my Father and Mother had been nagging me about marriage for years. But I would always turn and walk away or change the subject. Had they found me a husband? Is that why the Reverend is coming? Is it one of his sons?

I shook off the thought and get up to fill my bucket with water. Then I put some soap in the bucket and head back to the house. On the way I walk past few of my siblings in the gardens picking vegetables and herbs for the dinner tonight. One of my older brothers walks by me dragging a calf to the old shed where I know he was going to kill it. I guess this is so important that fresh meat was ordered to be prepared.

Inside the house there is even more hustle and bustle as the mothers were ordering everyone around. There was not someone in that house that was either scrubbing or dusting something. I then notice that the floor in the living room is already cleared and swept so I just roll up my dress and get on my hands and knees and begin scrubbing with a brush.

My little half-sister Hannah comes by with a few eggs from the chickens most likely about to give them to her mother. She was a tender age of 10 and smiled at everything and everyone, much like Ruth. She spotted me on the floor and she put her eggs on the coffee table and sat next to me shaking with excitement.

"Hey Ana! Are you excited about the Honorable Reverend coming tonight?" She asked with a big smile.

I laughed at her question and answer her uninterested in the topic, "Yes, I suppose I am as excited as one can be about this."

She continues to talk just like I knew she would, "You better be! Even your sister Emily is coming with her husband! And so is my big brother Robert!" My eyes widened at this now I was even more worried.

I would have asked her for more but she was gone in a heartbeat with the eggs in hand. I sigh and returned to my work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the floor was finished and room was set in order, I let my Mother know that I was going to clean the upstairs. She then tells me that she and Ruth will be upstairs in a little while to bath.

On my way up the stairs I was baffled. We NEVER used the indoor plumbing. Now The Honorable Reverend was an important person, he is our prophet for this generation but this was unnecessary.

When I got up there the room was spotless. The beds were made and the floor swept. A small smile grew upon my face as I walked over to my bed. I glanced behind me to check just in case anyone had entered the room. I was still alone. Even more excited I reach all the way under my bed and pull out a large brown knapsack filled with books and paper and writing utensils.

I pull out the book labeled Calculus and turned to the page I left off at. I was working on Combinatory Logic. I already learned the entire lesson but I was doing some practice problems.

I found this sack full of books in an old abandoned house when I was 12 shortly after my final year of school ended. A scholar lived there but died a few years earlier.

There were so many books on I could ever want to know about so I studied everything I could get my hands on. There was so much more to learn than what our school teachers taught us. All we learned in the 6 years girls were allowed to attend school was how to read, write, and do basic math, when there was so much more to learn! I am sure that I am smarter than the Honorable Reverend even!

There were books on the history of North America and a few other places in the world, and scientific and mathematic books as well. Some of them were in English, but there were a few that were in other languages. For those I just stared at the pictures trying to depict what it was saying.

I had been reading a particularly old and worn book that had a lot of drawings of different boats and pictures of people when I heard some footsteps coming up the stairs. I shot up and looked around at all the papers and books that were scattered on my bed and floor.

I begin to panic and I grabbed all of the stuff and shoved them in the bag, throwing it under the bed I then got up and ran over to a chair in the corner where I was going to pretend to be reading the bible. But I stepped on my dress tripping in the process. The door opened and my Mother came in with a bright smile that turned into shock.

"Ana? Why are you on the ground?"

"O-Oh I tripped over my dress. Sorry Mother." I say blushing with embarrassment.

I then heard a familiar giggle come from the door following a familiar voice,

"Ana you are still the same clumsy little girl are you not?" My older sister poked her head in through the door her once long hair now up in a bun like Mothers and a small bump coming through her dress. She was 19 and had been married to a young man when she was 17 and had moved away to his community in New Orleans.

The look on my face when I saw the bump must have been funny because she started another fit of giggles until the breath was knocked out of her when I gave her a bone crushing hug and she hugged me back twice as hard.

"I am going to be an Aunt?" she then pulled away and looked in my eyes with great joy.

"In about 7 months you will be."

Our little reunion was interrupted by my mother clapping her hands, "Let's get ready for the Honorable Reverend shall we?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok this is a little strange….the Reverend has not stopped staring at me since he has arrived and everyone is so….happy? They all have smiles on their faces and are chatting so merrily. It is scaring me a little. This dinner is so strange.

Dinner was amazingly prepared, all of our best spices and produce was used in large quantities. I think we will be eating leftovers for a while. Mother and Emily dressed me in a pretty red dress and braided flowers in my hair. Everyone else was dressed up too. Father had also introduced the Reverend and I first before anyone else and I thought that was strange as well. The Reverend was an old bald, he was around 80 actually with 15 children with 10 still at home and 5, fairly young wives. His youngest child is 2! That is beyond shocking. He sat on father's right hand side and he insisted that I sat next to him….odd. Everyone else was conversing with my Sister and her husband and my half-brother and his wife talking about their lives, and left the Reverend and I out of it so he tried to converse with me.

"So Ana, how many children would you like to have?" He asked in a rather hoarse voice.

"Um….I do not know your Honor. It is not something I normally think about."

He gave me a confused and a little angry look before smiling and continuing, "That is strange. Well with my next wife I wish to have at least 5."

"You are getting married again Sir?"

"Oh yes. We are engaged right now."

"That is wonderful congratulations."

Before he could say anything else my Father clicked his glass with his fork standing up.

"I know you all are wondering why the great Reverend is joining us tonight, well I will answer that for you. The Reverend's next bride is in this very room, and has asked my permission to marry her and I agreed so let's propose a toast to Ana and the Reverend Jones may they have many babies together and live a happy life starting tomorrow when they marry after Sunday service and head to Forth Summers!"

A cold shiver ran down my spine and my heart dropped to my stomach before it jumped up and started pounding at double-time. Everyone's glasses rose and the cheering that erupted out sounded muffled and faraway as I stared out into the distance. How could I celebrate? I just found out that my father gave me away to be married to some old man who most likely can't even have children anymore. And he wanted 5 from me? I looked to Jane who sat in the smallest chair at the very end of the table not cheering that much. She was pregnant and alone. I cannot be her.

As if it was instinct I shoot up from the table and run upstairs to my room.

I then fall on my bed feeling faint. This was my worst nightmare. I never wanted to be in an arranged marriage. I felt the tears start to fall. Then I realized what I had to do.

I have to leave.

Tonight.

Before my fate is set forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the Reverend left and the chores were finished and everyone was in bed, I had 3 angry parents to deal with (plus Jane sitting in a corner staring at me with pity) I thought quickly and said that I was overwhelmed with God's spirit in my womb at the thought of marriage and children, that I had to go pray in private. They actually bought it.

Everyone then went to bed and I felt relief and happiness for a split second as I walked up the stairs only for it to be disrupted by the sight of my mother's wedding dress already tailored lying across a chair with its matching veil. Seeing that brought tears to my eyes as I got into bed and awaited my chance to escape.

By midnight I couldn't take it anymore. My nerves and imagination were just too much to bear with. I was leaving now. I quietly got out of my bed and pulled my hair into a braid and threw on my black dress I used for funerals and grabbed my knapsack with my books in it. I was about to leave when I grabbed my stuffed bear that my mother actually bought me from a store and placed in in Ruth's arms and left a kiss on her head.

I went downstairs and left a note on Fathers place mat,

Dear Family,

I am so sorry to leave you all but cannot marry the Reverend. I have no interest in him or his 15 children and other 5 wives. He is too old for me anyway I would not be happy living that life. Father, I have a confession to make I do not believe that all you say is true. The outside world is not as bad as you think. I am going to live in it. I only took the books that I also hid from you and the dress on my back. Ruth? I am sorry to leave you alone you, be strong and do not let anyone push you around. Same for you Jane. And Emily? If you are hear when this is being read I hope my niece/nephew is happy and healthy.

I love you all,

Ana Gerolds

I placed it down and leave my church bonnet next to it and I opened the front door and dashed out into the warm night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think I'm lost. I tried to follow the road from the community to Bon Temps but there was a night guard coming up the road, and I had to go deeper into the forest and now I'm lost. _Great now father is just going to find me and drag me back. I have to get to town!  
_  
Just as I was about to just sit down and give up, sounds of music and people talking got my attention. I looked up to see light in the distance so headed for it. There was a building with lots of cars parked outside of it and a sign that said _**Merlotte's Bar and Grill **_on top of it. It seemed alright enough to go inside even though I had no idea what a bar and grill was, and I assumed that Merlotte was a name.

I walked up and opened the door and immediately the smell of sweat and something else filling the air. Cautiously I entered and at first no one noticed me. My confidence grew as I walked in so I walked a little faster but then I stepped on my dress causing me fumble a little and fall to the floor with a loud thud.

The people who were just eating and having a good time all had their attention on me with shock on their faces. I suppose my long dress stained with mud and twigs in my long hair not to mention a dirty knapsack over my shoulder weren't something that they had seen before. My face flushed up so I kept my eyes on the ground.

As I tried to get up a pale girl with long red hair walked up to me and grabbed my arm helping me stand. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen and I felt nervous standing next to her,

"Are you alright Miss?" She said with a deep southern accent.

"Y-Yes I'm fine thank you." I said as I dusted off my clothes. Then I noticed that she had gotten a lot closer to me and was…smelling my skin?!

Um…What are y-"Then she opened her mouth and there was a loud **CLICK! **And two sharp teeth replaced her original canines. I yanked my arm out of her hands and backed away. Fear grew in the pit of my stomach as my body started to shake.

"W-What? I…I" She snaps out of her trance and looks at me in shock. Her long teeth go back and normal ones are in its place. She rushes up to me a sorry look in her eye,

"I am so sorry! Sometimes I just can't control it. And you smell so good." Odd. I'm pretty sure I smell like sweat and the woods.

"I'm Jessica by the way. Where are you from? No offence but you look like you're from that religious cult a few miles from here…what was it called?" She looks up as if she was trying to remember and I smirk and shake my head. _So we are called a cult after all. I never really believed it until Father tried to make me marry that old man…_

There was a gasp that came from behind me and I turned to see another pretty woman with blonde hair staring at me as if she had heard what I just thought. "Oh I did here what you just thought darlin. I'm a telepath. My name is Sookie now what happened to you?"

I was about to answer her when Jessica clapped her hands together, "The Devotees of the One True Belief!" When I heard that name the tears started running down my face as I sank into a chair. I let my knapsack fall to the ground as sobs racked my frame. The both of them looked down at me with concern and I just muttered,

"I…was apart of the cult. But I had to run away." After that I sobbed even harder. What was I thinking running away like that? What was I going to do? I looked up a Jessica and gave her a questioning look.

"What are you anyway? Why did your teeth get long like that?" Then both of their mouths dropped as they looked at me with pure shock. I guess the outside world is even more different than I thought.

**And that is it! Now maybe some of y'all probably know about this story it was posted but then I took it down cause I realized what a shit job I did. NOT because of some nasty comments, there was a lot of mistakes and I am going completely change it! Please leave a review letting me know what you want to see and if I need to change anything but please be nice.**

**Thanks!**

** ~Katherine~ :)**


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